Tubular lock mechanisms are commonly used in securing doors. One embodiment of a tubular lock mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,278 to Hale, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Some tubular locks have certain limitations such as those relating to convenient control of the locked/unlocked state of the lock as well as economical and efficient manufacture, construction and assembly. Therefore, a need remains for further improvements in this field of technology.
Many different door locks include decorative trim components to provide a level of visual appeal to a primarily functional product. One of the decorative components that can provide a significant enhancement to the overall appearance is the rosette or rose, also called an embellishment or escutcheon. Lock manufacturers typically offer a range of rose style options, including simple and cheap stamped brass roses, as well as more solid and stylish designs made from die cast zinc or forged brass. Cast or forged roses are very often non-round in shape and may have various ornate geometries. Due to their mass and shape, these types of roses require secure attachment and a positive orientation to the lock chassis. The most robust attachment approach is to permanently affix such roses to the lock chassis through a factory assembly process. However, it is increasingly desirable to provide a removable attachment means, such that the rose may be installed and/or removed as needed. To provide a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance of a door lock, it is preferred that the lock mounting screws are hidden or covered by the decorative trim. This dictates that the rose must be attached to the lock chassis at the point of installation rather than by a factory assembly process. Under some circumstances, however, it may be desirable to change the lock trim style or finish periodically as a style update or upgrade.
The rose, as currently known by those skilled in the art, provides a merely cosmetic or decorative feature for a lock assembly. Most often the rose is configured to a cover portion of the door surrounding a hole in the door through which the lock assembly extends, which if not covered is considered unsightly. In addition, the rose protects a portion of the door from fingerprints and other materials, which are more easily cleaned from the rose than from the door. In some cases, the rose prevents unwanted foreign materials or objects from entering a chassis of the lock, which could reduce its effectiveness or intended operation. While the rose functions generally to provide ornamental features, these functions are limited. Consequently, what is need therefore is to enhance the functionality of the rose by providing additional features to improve the operation of the door lock.